Our neighbors taste better than they smell

We found ourselves at a nearby gastropub a few weeks back and faced a familiar dilemma—do we eat our neighbors? The last time we were there, we resisted the urge. Eating our neighbors seemed, well, downright unneighborly.

This time was different because I was in the mood for pork.

A small number of rare Middle White pigs are kept on the farm land across the lane from our cottage. They are used exclusively by this and a few other pubs in the region. It is an old breed that has not had the flavorful aspects (fat) bred out to satisfy weight watchers.

I ordered the Middle White sampler platter that included pork belly, pork chop, pork sausage, and black pudding. The pork belly and black pudding were fantastic, the best I’ve ever eaten in fact. The sausage was great, but the pork chop was very different than I was expecting… a bit gamey. My suspicion is that I would have liked it just fine if I hadn’t just had the pork belly.

I now have a much greater appreciation for my neighbors. Once they return from their winter domicile I will greet them with a cheer: “I salute you tasty Middle White. Grow big and fat and we will meet again someday.”